Be An Angel campaign is drawing to a close

January 11, 2002|By IRENE KRAFT Of The Morning Call

Today, on the final day of The Morning Call's Be An Angel campaign, we are pleased to report that the donations of many angels made during the past few weeks already have helped people in need throughout the Lehigh Valley.

However, many nonprofit agencies still need items and services that will help them better serve their clients. Even those agencies that have received donations have needs that remain unfulfilled.

Laird MacCubbin of Good Shepherd, for example, reports that angel Ron Snyder of Orefield donated two electric wheelchairs once used by his late wife. Good Shepherd is very grateful for Snyder's donation, says MacCubbin. Yet he reminds potential angels that still more wheelchairs are needed, as is financial support for Good Shepherd's pediatric program.

Karen Grady at the Arc of Lehigh and Northampton Counties is thrilled to report two wishes fulfilled. "An amazingly generous anonymous angel donated a customized computer. This computer has everything we need," says Grady. The agency also received a camera from another anonymous angel, which Arc's clients will put to good use.

Angels also have fulfilled some of the needs of Sayre Child Center in Bethlehem. The child-care agency received a very generous gift from anonymous angels -- a financial donation to purchase the two computers it requested. One will be used by kindergarten pupils and the other by grade-school children. Another anonymous donation will be used to replace or repaint the center's flagpole.

Angels Sandi and Ray Lopez of Allentown donated not one but two items on the Catasauqua Lions Club's wish list -- a refrigerator and a microwave oven.

Lehigh County Children and Youth Services was able to make Christmas merrier for 10 needy families with the help of the following donors: Donna Steich, Karen Bugger, Barbara Reitz, Jamie Rick, Debbie and Kevin Schaefer, Joan Fugitt, Gail Weber, Alicia Bonhage, Sandy Butler and Amy Dobil and family. These angels donated food and multiple gifts for children in the families served.

During the next week, we will be tabulating donations made to all the agencies so that we can share their good news with our readers. If you still want to participate in the campaign by making a donation, please try to do so in the next few days. To see the complete Be An Angel wish list, go to www.mcall.com and click on the Be An Angel icon.

And, if you represent an agency that has received donations, please call your results in to Irene Kraft